Better and High-Fidelity Pilot Model for USAAF Fighter Aircraft in WW2

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This suggestion was revised and reposted from my original suggestion in old forums.

Remodeling the USAAF Pilots in Game

   Many years ago, German, Russian, British, and Japanese pilots received their skin remodels in the game. The US Army Air Forces pilots have yet to get their overhaul. It was way overdue.

   Therefore, I’d like to suggest major remodels for American pilots in the aircraft that belonged to the World War II-era US Army Air Corps and US Army Air Forces with accurate flight suit equipment in its retrospective time.

Problems

   Currently, the pilot from any American prop aircraft, excluding P-51C and bombers, looks like this:

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   The pilot model was seen in the Gaijin’s Birds of Steel, a console game back in 2012. It is low-quality and needing a touch-up.

  

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   The flight suit and equipment of the P-51C’s pilot are accurate. However, it is missing the oxygen mask.

   I want to mention that this model is wearing the iconic A-2 leather flying jacket, which is a pre-war design that was presented in World War II for American pilots. In the last stages of World War II, more pilots would wear cheaper and warmer B-10 or B-15 jackets instead.

Solution

   Refer to the historical examples of the American pilots’ flight equipment below.

  

USAAF Fighter Pilots

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Oxygen Masks

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   It is not uncommon to see many historical photographs of American fighter pilots wearing Royal Air Force equipment such as British helmets and boots. They got these either through trading with RAF pilots trained in the US or visiting RAF airbases in the UK (as well as RAF pilots visiting the US airbases in the UK). Some found the British-made helmets more comfortable for them to wear than their American-made helmets.

   There was no strictly prescribed flight gear that the American aircrewmen were required to wear. The flight gear was left to the pilots’ personal preference based on their individuality and geographic conditions.

   Therefore, the final updated pilot model could be wearing the following flight gear in two different periods to accurately represent the AAF pilots in the European Theater of Operations and Mediterranean Theater of Operations during 1942-1945:

A - Early Flight Gear

  • British C Type Helmet with AN-6530 goggles and American A-14 oxygen mask for the headwear.
  • A-2 dark leather jacket with a yellow life preserver and parachute pack, leather gloves, and Pink Drab trousers for bodywear.
  • British flying boots for footwear.

B - Late Flight Gear

  • American A-11 helmet with B-8 goggles and A-14 oxygen mask for the headwear.
  • Drab B-10 or B-15 Flight Jacket with a yellow life preserver, parachute pack, leather gloves, and A-9 Drab Flying Trousers for bodywear.
  • A-6A flying shoes for footwear.

   Another option that can be used to save time and effort is to copy and paste the flight gear model used in P-51C on a new caucasian pilot with high-quality skin for every USAAF aircraft, including an equipped A-14 oxygen mask on the model.

Flight Gear Equipment in Summary

   Below is a list of the most commonly issued flight gear equipment for American pilots in the USAAF service.

Helmet

  • A-11 Flying Helmet (Standard Issue in 1943)
  • RAF C Type Flying Helmet (Traded)

Goggles

  • AN-6530 Goggles (Standard Issue in 1942)
  • B-8 Flying Goggles (Standard Issue in 1944)
  • RAF Mark VII or VIII Flying Goggles (Traded)

Oxygen Mask

  • RAF Type E or Type G Oxygen Mask (Traded)
  • A-14 Oxygen Mask (Standard Issue in 1943-1945)

Shirt

  • Olive Drab Shirt with Rank and Air Force Insignia and Khaki necktie

Flight Jacket

  • A-2 Jacket (Standard Issue in 1931-1943)
  • B-10 or B-15 Jacket (Standard Issue in 1944-1945)

Survival Vest

  • B-3 Life Preserver
  • B-4 Life Preserver

Parachute Pack

  • Seat Parachute Pack
  • B-8 Parachute Pack

Gloves

  • A-10 Leather Gloves (Standard Issue in 1938)
  • B-3/B-3A Flight Gloves (Standard Issue in 1943)
  • RAF 1941 Pattern Gloves (Traded)
  • RAF 1943 Pattern Gloves (Traded)

Pants

  • Pink Drab Trousers
  • A-9 Flying Trousers (Standard Issue in 1944)

Boots

  • A-6/A-6A Flying Shoes (Standard Issue in 1943)
  • RAF 1936/1940/1943 Pattern Flying Boots (Traded)

Conclusion

   The old American pilot model is gradually showing its age with low quality and desperately needs to be overhauled in War Thunder. This proposal would make the new American model much more accurate and have high visual quality to stay updated in the fast-growing game with every new patch. The current old model of the fighter pilot could receive some touch-ups and additional flight gear equipment to accurately represent the American pilots in the European Theater of Operations and Mediterranean Theater of Operations during 1942-1945.

Video

   This is an excellent video that dissects the historical flight gear of the USAAF pilots.

See Also - Other Pilot Remodel Suggestions

Sources

Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃

3 Likes
2

+1 long overdue

2 Likes
3

Here are various portraits of USAAF pilots of the 353rd Fighter Group:

May be a useful reference for creating and animating new models and potential profile icons.

4

Honestly, Uniforms in cockpits should change. If your nation fought in the Pacific, it should swap to the pilot uniform used at the time. Anyway besides that kind of hope Japan and many other countries get their gas mask variant.

5

Hey everybody. I have updated the formatting for better readability and viewing.

Looking forward to seeing a new pilot model for the USAAF aircraft anytime soon, even if it’s at the bottom of the list of priorities.